Classical cannabinoids such as the marijuana derived cannabinoid. 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, (9-THC) produce their pharmacological effects through interaction with specific cannabinoid receptors in the body. So far, two cannabinoid receptors have been characterized: CB1, a central receptor found in the mammalian brain and peripheral tissues and CB2, a peripheral receptor found only in the peripheral tissues. Compounds that are agonists or antagonists for one or both of these receptors have been shown to provide a variety of pharmacological effects.
There is considerable interest in developing new cannabimimetic compounds possessing preferentially high affinity for the CB2 receptor. Such compounds that preferentially stimulate the CB2 receptor, directly or indirectly, can provide clinically useful effects without major effects on the subject's central nervous system and can offer a rational therapeutic approach to a variety of disease states.